THE GREATEST GIFT EVER GIVEN

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Christmas is here. People worldwide will soak in this magical time with friends and family as we celebrate God’s greatest gift ever, His only Son, Jesus. As we celebrate this “gift” we need to pause and reflect on the birth of the gift.

Read the familiar passages of Scripture telling of Jesus’ birth, and let your mind linger on the verses of Matthew 2:5-6: “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.”

The Son of God was born in a stable, probably surrounded by livestock, to parents with no distinct social standing. No wonder the Jews found it difficult to believe He was the Messiah, the One sent to save them. They had suffered much and looked for a powerful leader who would deliver them from Roman oppression. But that isn’t what they got.

Jesus was born in a stable, was a carpenter’s son, and was a friend of fishermen, tax collectors, and prostitutes. He didn’t seem very royal. Jewish leaders rejected Him and demanded He be crucified as the ultimate imposter, “the King of the Jews.”

Jesus did not come to rule from a grand royal palace surrounded by servants, guards, and luxury. Christ came to serve, seek, and save, but for reasons and in a manner far beyond anything many Jews ever imagined or understood. Many Jewish people missed the greatest gift because they expected a particular king but were given another.

Jesus was sent to earth from the Father’s love to save humanity. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. He did not come for riches or to experience an easy life. Jesus came to save and redeem the world by sacrificing His life. He healed, preached, brought back to life, and changed the course of humanity. Jesus bore the weight of all sins and died on the cross. Jesus was the perfect gift to humanity in that He took our place, conquering sin and death.

A gift tells us something about the giver. When you want to give someone a gift, you start thinking about it beforehand. Hopefully, you will try to find what that person wants or needs. When God decided to give us the gift of eternal life, it wasn’t something that He just thought of on the fly. Long before there was a town called Bethlehem, a garden called Eden, and a planet called Earth, a decision was made in eternity that God would send forth His Son, born of a woman, to redeem those under the law.

So Christmas isn’t about those gifts that you open today. All of those things will be gone one day.  Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is Jesus called the indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)?
2. What will you do with this gift this week and in the new year?